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School of Computing

Kent recognised by government as a centre of cyber security research excellence

22 August 2018

The University of Kent has achieved accreditation from the government as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR).

The announcement, made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, comes in recognition of Kent's first-rate research in terms of both scale and impact. The University will now have the opportunity to bid for funding to develop cutting-edge research in cyber security, including at Doctoral level, as well as attend annual conferences and workshops organised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Responding to the announcement Shujun Li, Professor of Cyber Security and Director of the Kent Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security (KirCCS) at the University of Kent, said:

'We are excited to be given the ACE-CSR status as an acknowledgement of the excellent research in cyber security. Our research is truly interdisciplinary drawing on the expertise of colleagues from computer science and engineering as well as wider disciplines such as psychology, law, business and sociology.

'Our ambition is to have one of the largest and most productive cyber security research centres in the UK by 2022 as well as helping to grow the next-generation cyber security researchers.'

The Kent Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Cyber Security (KirCCS) was established in 2012 to focus and showcase research in this area, particularly the promotion of interdisciplinary research across different disciplines.

It currently has 14 academics from the Universities' School of Computing and the School of Engineering and Digital Arts as core members, with a further 30 academics from 10 different schools as Associate Members. In addition to its research activities in cyber security, it also conducts a wide range of technical and interdisciplinary activity in enterprise and innovation, teaching support, and public engagement.

Kent, along with King's College London and Cardiff University, joins 14 other institutions in a scheme forming part of the Government's National Cyber Security Strategy, which aims to make the UK the safest place to be online and also help to support the country's digital economy.

Minister for Digital Margot James said:'These universities are doing fantastic research in cyber security and they are rightly being recognised for their pioneering work.

'We have some of the best minds in the world working in the field and thanks to this scheme they can now help shape our National Cyber Security Strategy and develop the talent and services of tomorrow.'

Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for Cyber Security Skills and Growth at the NCSC, said:'The UK has world-class universities carrying out cutting edge research into all areas of cyber security.

'It's fantastic to see three more universities recognised as Academic Centres of Excellence and I'm especially pleased that we now have centres in all home nations. The NCSC looks forward to collaborating with these institutions to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.'